Rise and shine, everyone, another busy day is on the way. However, the pace this morning is being scrambled a bit thanks to an impressive amount of snow accumulating in our part of the world. Of course, the official mascots are enjoying the moment as they bound about the Pharmalot grounds, which is quite enjoyable to watch as we brew another cup of stimulation. Our choice today is chocolate raspberry, by the way. Please feel free to join us. Meanwhile, we have accumulated another batch of tidbits for you to peruse as you start your journey, which we hope will be productive and meaningful. Best of luck and, as always, do keep in touch. …
A U.S. district judge granted a Biden administration request to dismiss a lawsuit challenging Medicare’s new drug price negotiation program brought by PhRMA, the lobbying organization for the pharmaceutical industry, STAT tells us. The move is an early but positive sign for the Biden administration in a legal fight that could stretch for years, as a host of major drugmakers, including Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Johnson & Johnson, have also filed lawsuits over the constitutionality of Medicare’s new negotiating powers. The first round of drug negotiations is ongoing, and a judge heard oral arguments in a challenge brought by AstraZeneca just last month.
A bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers told the Biden administration that the U.S. should review Chinese biotech firm WuXi AppTec and its affiliate WuXi Biologics for sanctions, Reuters reports. In a letter, the lawmakers told U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo that the global pharmaceutical giant’s links to China’s Communist Party and military threatened U.S. national security. Congress has introduced legislation that would restrict federally funded medical providers from allowing China’s BGI Group, WuXi AppTec, and other biotechs from getting genetic information about Americans.